Reel to Reel: Treasure or Trash?

I still use reel to reel. How many tapes do you have and what condition are they in ??

I have had reel to reels in my system since the mid 60's. I still enjoy the wonderful analog sound they produce. I also have a DAT and CDR for digital. While the DAT and CDR make exact copies of digital I think something is lost when you use analog as the source. I do make cd copies from lps for the car but when I want that analog sound for my home system I listen to lps or my reel. New blanks are still available and it's not too difficult to find used reels at good prices. You can also find pre-recorded reels out there but they are starting to become expensive. Good luck.

Rec -- thank you. The main thing for me is the sentimental value of the machine. Does anyone know if the Crown 800 is a good one? Is it worth anything if it is repaired? Also, if I don't have many tapes or wish to go and find them, what the hell would I do with the machine? Would it be useful or musical to archive LPs? Thanks for the advice.

I have an Akai professional 1/4 inch half-track with a separate tube amplification/power supply unit. The vinyl I've recorded to tape becomes somehow "improved". I agree. It makes no sense. But when I play the tape against the vinyl it was recorded from, the tape is FAR better. I think it removes the background noise of the turntable but I'm not sure. I guess the most important question is: How much do they want to repair the Crown open reel recorder and what exactly is wrong with it??? Keep me posted.